Capping machine



ocr. 16 1923. A www C. E. RUSSELL CAPPING MACHINE Filed 001;. l5 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 mw.. w s W. 6 U 5 M w f, VQ% c um 1.@ ou .L E m -WAR m m l, W @w s M w U M M mw. ,W R M M. E. m M 1r... v MH m uw MN EF ml Wk 1 bm... M a, NN l. Y N Wm. LCM. Q 0 mw Oct. 16 w23. EA'ZKLSE c. E. RUSSELL,

CAPPING MACHINE Filed Oct. 15 y192C) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 'ATER-S FAENT cLnnn-ncn n. RUSSELL, orV mnxwoonjiuissouni, nssienonyrrifnsnn fissieminnrs, yfro 'rnn cenno MILLs conrnnrfor nasce sr. Louis, iLLnvors, n coaronifirronorl ILLINois.

To @ZZ whom t may concern.'

in Capping Machines, of which the follow-y ing is a full, clear, and'exact description, reference being `hadl to the? accompanying; .10 drawings, forming a part'of this specifica-1l Y y n Y Y Y 'f proximately on the lineVlI4-VII, Fig.'VI.

tion.

This invention relates toV improvements in capping'machines, onenof the objects be-Y ing to produce asimple automatic machine is'vvhereby caps'ma'y be positively lapplied to containers. object'of the inventi'on is vto vprovide a 'means' whereby-the caps. and

cartons are 2accurately@:alinedl yWith each `other duringfthe capping operations. i Y

YA further' object is toproduce a machine ofthis kind 'adapted 'to' applyleirible paper caps vto'cartons.` In the preferred formof ythe. invention, lthe capA is frictionally" held '.recting lthe cap ytofthe carton;` lBefore defscribingthe j v'arious 'elements'` of' the 'cap-f applying "device Iivvill-point out the' means-r f I by a Vguiding device whereby itis guided -onto therarto-n, anda suitable plungervis used to force `thecapalong the, guiding device-. Flexible paper caps of thisflrindfare' usually provided'with flanges' 'Which-fit overv the'cartons, andV theL invention includesfafv 3o novel means whereby the Vflexible flanges are. expanded 'slightly by"forcing` them onto the friction v'faces of v theguiding device,

therebyfcausing the: caps to' Yreadily)pass` ontoftlier containers" construction, 'combinatiori 'and' arrangement of parts. hereinafter more specifically del scribed-andillustrated inthe' accompanying .drawings wherein is shownthe preferred embodiment ofthe invention. -Hovvever"' spring- 11 retains the pawl 109111 engagement y itis 4to be; understood that' the invention comprehends changes, variations and modi- 'y 55' ing the .convex pressure vmennber"wherebyI i tates of'ilme'rica,l v and a lresic'lentjofV Kirkwood, in the county 5 IofSt'. Louis and State `of Missouri, vhave in#A vented certainnevvand useful' Improvements With the foregoing and other objects inf view, 'the invention comprises the'f-noveil`;

` end'.l y The drive-vvheels6are iixedfto a'shaft f 7 ,anda ratchetwheel 8" is also'fiXedto this f Vshaft. @designatesanfoscillatory arm '(--Fig.

avertical'section taken?approir-lr driven-'intermittently throughthe medium Y ofratchetandgpand/10.? An intermittent 'j 1.10 i

gin ofthe carton@` to? said gripping members Fig. 'VIis an enlarged fraginentary'top'f viewi'shoiving the gripping members where'- bythe capis! alined With-the container,"and i, a portionl of the means forvfeeding-the capsv v the 'cap isfforc'edintorm engagement vvithf v a gmdingdevice during thecappingoperaf tion, so` as tosllghtly-v expand the lower'inarj TA designatesr cylindrical' cartons lseated on? rig. n.

The-jawn@ Lfor'fiappifyingfue @para the v Y cartons includes apair of' gripping members fj 5 3 movable' toward. eachother to grip the cap-lf the vtop'ofwa table/1, :and VBdesignates caps "arranged-inaguideway 2 located above ythe@ n y table.l "Thej cartons ina-yf bek delivered *to the 70 f table" by hand or by Aany Suitable mecha- `nisni. The' capsfare fed fto"the''guideWayiQf` ,th-rough the medium yof a f chute 2'., shown in YnsV andwlcarton land servingas" guidesffor" di-` for feedingthecaps andcartons tothe grip.V

'ping-members 3. Y. f Y

The carton feederherein shoyvnincludes* a vpair-V of Asprocket, chains il; inoi'lable alongV the top face ofthe` table lk Vand connected together vby means? of*V rods y5 which `e'ngage* -thecartons topush them kalong the top of-"f` thevjable.; Each v ysprocket chain 4i passesr` around` af drive yWheel y( fnear'one end of the `table' andan idle Wheel 7 nearothe v'otherfV II) looselyimountedl on A.the shaft 7,L and 1Q vdesignates apawl pivoted to'said arm. A

crank pin- 14@ l5y designates a connecting 10o `rod,"`or linlnfvvhereby the crank pin 14' is.; y y

connectedt'o the paivlfcarryi'ng arm The e j Y drive shaft V12 is drivencontinuouslyso as' to i permitfmovementf'fronithe crank pi'nll to" the connecting' rod 15,Vv thereby'imparting an '105' ,-oscillatory movementt'o the pa'VWl carrying, f?

armQQJ- As `a` consequence, the shaft* 7 lis"V movement thus transmitted `tof/the' sprocket chain 4 so as to advance the con- Y tainers A step by step. VThese containers,

kfat

an. idle wheel` 17 and a drive wheel 18, the l latter being fixedto a drive shaft 19 which may be driven continuously through theme,-

dium of any suitable power mechanism, such,`

Yfor instance, as a'drivingbelt 19a operating over a pulley 19" mounted on said shaft 19 as shown in Fig. I of the frdrawings. The belt 16 frictionally engages the top face of the caps B, and it tends to move all cf the caps toward the gripping jaws 3. n v To control the delivery of the. caps to the' gripping members 3', ay stop arm 20 is located y aty the discharge end of guideway 2, said'stop arnrbeing provided'with fingers ,20' which lrestupon the guideway, as shown in Fig. 1V.y 21 designates aV pivot whereby the stop arm =issecured to a stationary part ofthe lmachine. When thestop arm 2O occupies the position Vshown in the drawings, it prevents displacement of the caps which are-frictionally engaged with the moving belt 16. but this arm is intermittently'lifted/to 'release the caps, thereby permitting oneof the caps topass into'the spacebetween the gripping members 3. Y rIhe `means kfor actuating the stop arm20V includes a horizontal finger 22 (Figs. I and-IV) fixed to the upper end of a vertical shaft 23and an operating finger 24y fixe'dto the lower end ofsaid shaft. V25 designates a torsional spring surrounding the vertical shaft`23 (Fig.- IVja-nd tending to retain the operating finger 24 in'engagement with a stop pin 26. The lower end of spring 25 is fixed tothe shaft 23 and the upper end is fixed to a stationary part of the machine, Yas shownv in Fig. IV. Theoperating linger '24 extends into 'the path of the cartons A,

while thefinger 22 lies under and engages an inclined face on the stop arm 20.

When the intermittent carton feeder is in motion, the uncappedj cartons move toward n the gripping members3 and one ofthe cartons engages the operating finger 24 (Figs. I and IV). :As a result, motion is trans- .mittedk from the moving carton to the operatingknger 24, and thence through the vertical shaft 23 to the finger 22 which engages the inclined face of stop arm' 20 (Fig. IV), thereby lifting the 'stop armto -release the caps. `All ofthe caps engaged with the friction belt 1 6 then move forwardly ytoward the grippingmembers 3, but when the operating carton passes from the finger 24, the spring 25 restores the fingers 22andy 24 to the positions shown by Figs I and IV, thereby perA mitting the stop arm 20 to drop by gravity until its fingers 20f rest upon the topof the tension27 located in stationary guides 28, as shown by Figs. 11,111 andIV. `To providegfor the Vtransmission of-movement to these horizontall Y guided vgripping mem` pin .29 adapted to receive the forked upper end of a lever 30 driven by a camY 31 on the vconstantly rotating shaft 12. There are two n levers 30, one for each of the gripping members 3, and the ycams 31 are adapted toco-Y operate with these levers7 as shownv by Fig. III, to 'move'V the gripping members toward each other. rlhe levers 30 are yieldingly connected together by means of a spring 32 (Fig: 111)v whichtendsto force the gripping members 3 away from eachother. .Y

After the cap and container have been delivered to 'the space between theV gripping membersY 3, the latter move. toward each .othertogripthe cap and container, ybut the cap'must'be temporarily supported before it is frictionally engaged by thegripping memtending fromthedischarge end of the guiden way 2 so as toreceive the caps'passing from this guideway. VEach supporting member'E is p ivoted at 3 3 to astationary 'part-of the machine and provided with `a cap-supporting extension 34 adapted to passthrougha slot in the gripping member with which itis Y associated. When the rcap is. discharged from the guideway 2 to the-space ybetween the ygripping `'members v 3, the supporting wings E occupy the positions shown by full lines in Figs. 1 and V1. VThe capsupporting extension 34 will therefore liev between the capiand the containerso as to temporarily support the cap While the gripping members 3 moveftoward each other to grip the cap and container. `35 designates links con-` necting the movable gripping members 3 to the supporting wings 1E, as shown most` clearly'byy Fig. VI. y When V.the gripping members 3 move toward each other motion is transmitted through the links'35, with the Vresult of moving the supportingwings away `from each other, thereby removing the supe porting wings from the space between the cap and the container. fIt-w'ill now be understood `that the' cap is temporarily sup-A ported by the membersv 34, vand'that these Each grippingzjaw 31s a se`micylindri-y "cal'membe'r 'conforming tothe shape ofthe cartons and provided with a horizontal exbers, each extensionl 27 isvprovidedfwith a f bers. vE designatesl cap supporting members in theforrn of thin sheetimetal vwings eX! members are shifted tothe positions shown byd'otted lines in Fig. VI while the grip'- ping inem'bers are movingto the positions shown by dotted lines.

The semi-cylindrical gripping members-3,

conforming to the shape of the cap and car ton, serve as means for alining the cap and carton, and they also serve' as guides for directing the cap to the carton. It is therefore unnecessary for the cartonfeeder and cap feeder to accurately aline the cap with-vV the carton. Each ofy the gripping members isprovided with an'oifset portion 3alat itsr upper end, these offset portions being necessary to kprovide space for the caps tojmove Y downwardly'.withinv said ygripping members while the cartons are firmly gripped by the lower portionsof said members 3, so thatL said caps may be forced onto saidcartons.

The means for forcing the cap onto the carton comprises al vertically movable plun` ger rod 36 provided with a head 36 (Fig. V) adapted to engage the top of the cap. An operating lever- 37 isY provided with a fork 38 (Fig. 11H/extending into an ,annular groeve in the plunger rod 36'.` 39y designates a vertically 'movable operating rod (Fig.v III) actuated by` a cam 40 onthe shaft 12, land provided with a head '41 engaging;

the operating'lever 37; The head 4l isslidably mounted on the Aupper end of rod 39, and the spring 42 yieldingly retains ythis head in engagement 'with a stop pin :43 on Vrod 39. If anyrigid object islocatedin the path ofthe plungerhead 36 or if forany reason-the cap is prevented from mov! ing downwardly with thisplunger head, the spring '42 will yield to permit mo-vementof the operating rod 39,*withou`t transmitting' movement tothe lever 37. y

The plunger rod 36 is sl'idably mounted in astationaryguide 44 (FiggIII) c'tmta'ininga restoring` spring 45 which eng'fagesa,l

shoulder'on the rod, .soL as to elevate said gages the top of the cap B. When the grip-V` ping members 3 koccupy their'close'd posiv tions,`their inner faces vfrictionally engage rod in response to aV downward movement of the operating rod 39; As shown in Fig. V, therplunger head 36 is provided with a convex face which' enonto the top of the container. The positionv of the cap flange 46 is exaggerated inFig.

V, butit will be understood that ifthis ange is frictionally engaged kwith the inner face of rgripping members 3, the pressure transmitted from the convex face of plunger head 36 will tend to vmake the top'of the cap conform to this convex face, and' this willtend to expand the lower margin: of

flange v46, so as to more firmly engageths margin iwi-th they friction face and at the:

same time remove' wrinkles and other irregu# `larities whichfwould otherwise preventtheV cap lfrom passing VKonto Lthe container. 'i At the beginning of this operation, whilethef irregular paper cap is frictionally held be# f *tweenr the gripping members, it does` not conform preciselyto the inner face of these n members, and its liangejis thereafter exf panded to remove the irregularities, thereby permitting the cap topassjfreely,onto` the i container. -f Since the external diameter of thrcap B kis'larger than that lof thev container A, thewinner faces of the gripping `members are' preferablyA formed with shoulders below the plane kof the cap in V, but theseshoulders do not performany useful function, said shoulders' resulting `l; In a'carton capping machine,gripping membersl adapted to'embrace the cap and carton, a capv support whereby the capisA held between said gripping members, said calpfsupport being movable between the cap and carton', means for closing said gripping members to'grip lthe cap and carton', means for transmitting movement to :said capsupport to removethe same from the cap while the latter is held by saidgripping members,

whereby the cap is yieldinglyheld above and in alinement with the carton, and means for forcing the cap ontothe carton lwhile said .c

friction-"faces'are engaged withthe cap.

from the presence of the offset portions 3a.

g said gripping members having friction faces p 2. `Ina cartoncapping machine, grippingk Y -members Ladapted to embracethe cap and carto-n, a (capsupport whereby the capis held between said gripping members,1neans y for` removinglsaid cap support from the 'cap and 'at the same time closing said gripping members Vto gripfthey cap andy carton, said gripping members having friction faces whereby the -cap is yieldinglyheld above f and in alinement with the carton, and means*`V for forcing the 'cap onto the carton while said friction-faces are engaged with'th'e cap. zo;

3. kIn a carton capping machine, gripping members adapted to 'embrace the cap and carton, a cap sup-port whereby the cap is Vheld between said gripping members, said `cap support comprising a pairof seats lo,-

catediin the path of the cap, operating l means whereby said gripping members are I closed to grip the cap, means for transmit ting motionto said pair of seats to displace them from the cap,v saidgrippingmembers having friction faces vwhereby the cap is 

